Bureau of Land Management Wyoming is offering a grant to research Bighorn Basin sage grouse habitat.

This Funding Announcement is not a request for applications. This announcement is to provide public notice of the Bureau of Land Management’s intention to fund the following project activities without full and open competition.

ABSTRACT

Funding Announcement: BLM-WY-NOI09-9013
Project Title: BLM WY Bighorn Basin Sage Grouse Research
Recipient: University of Wyoming
Principle Investigator (if applicable) : Destin Harrell (307)-578-5933
Total Anticipated Award Amount: $100,000 (approximately $20,000 per year)
Cost Share: No
New Award or Continuation?: New Award
Anticipated Length of Agreement: 5 years
Anticipated Period of Performance: April 2009 through March 2014
Award Instrument: Cooperative Agreement

Statutory Authority
Federal Land Policy Management Act of 1976, as amended, (43 U.S.C. 1743) Sections 307(a) and 307(b), P.L. 94-579 Section B: “Subject to the provisions of applicable law the Secretary may enter into contracts and cooperative agreements for the management, protection, development and sale of public lands”.

CFDA # and Title: 15.231 Fish, Wildlife and Plant Conservation Resource Management

Single Source Justification Criteria Cited Per 505DM 2 Manual, Justification: Unsolicited proposal: The proposed award
is the result of an unsolicited assistance application which represents a unique or innovative idea, method or approach which is not the subject of current or planned contract or assistance award, but which is deemed advantageous to the
program objective, and, Unique Qualifications: The applicant is uniquely qualified to performed the activity based upon a variety of demonstrable factors such as location, property ownership, voluntary support capacity, cost-sharing
ability, if applicable, technical expertise, or other such unique qualifications.

BLM Point of Contact Ilze Karklins-Powers, email: Ilze_Karklins-Powers@blm.gov, Phone: (307)-775-6293

OVERVIEW

The Bureau of Land Management, Wyoming State Office, intends to award a cooperative agreement with the University of Wyoming to provide a comparison of the effects of prescribed burns versus mowing as fuel treatments and the effects of both on sage grouse population.

The anticipated length of the project is a five year period. The BLM will consider continued funding for the project upon (a) the recipient showing progress satisfactory to the BLM toward program goals and the determination by the BLM that continuation of the program would be in the best interest of the Government or (b) the availability of funds. The total project period for this award will not exceed 60 months.

RECIPIENT INVOLVEMENT

The University of Wyoming would work to conduct their study exploring the effects of vegetation treatments on sage grouse habitat use and quality. Results would be summarized at the end of the study and a final report would be submitted to the BLM Cody Field Office along with an annual report and an update on future plans. Day to day work would be done by the UW who is the lead on this project.

BLM INVOLVEMENT

Substantial involvement on the part for BLM is anticipated for the successful completion of the objectives to be funded by this award. In particular, GIS data support and field work help may be provided.